Every Day is Earth Day for Local Mom

On April 22, people across the globe will celebrate the 38th anniversary of Earth Day, a grassroots demonstration that catapulted the environment into the American conscience. Initiated by US Senator Gaylord Nelson and coordinated by Denis Hayes, an astonishing 20 million Americans participated in the 1970 Earth Day rallies. By 1990, there were 140 countries and an estimated 200 million people across the world engaged in Earth Day activities, and in 2007, that number reached one billion.

Robin Morris, a Lakewood mom, believes Earth Day should be celebrated every day. When they announced they were starting a family, friends informed Robin and Paul that they would see the world differently through the eyes of child. They couldn't have been more right. Pregnancy complications placed Robin on complete bed rest for 17 weeks. Armed with only a wireless internet connection, Robin avoided Dr. Phil and Days of Our Lives by googling everything "baby" - from making baby food to the debate between disposable and cloth diapers.

"The more I read, the more concerned I became about the way our actions impact the world we were leaving for our soon to be born baby," she said.

Graduates of CU-Boulder, one of the most environmentally aware cities in Colorado, they decided they wanted to teach their child by example. Building a "green" house from the ground-up wasn't in the family's budget, so they started incorporating smaller changes. "It didn't make sense replace a working light bulb with an energy efficient one or throw out full bottles of commercial cleaners because you are generating un-necessary waste, " Robin says. Already equipped with Energy Star kitchen appliances and a front-loading washing machine, they adjusted the temperature and insulated their water heater, and starting replacing burned out bulbs and toxic cleaners with natural, biodegradable and efficient household products, and bought a set of reusable shopping bags. Billions of plastic bags end up in landfills annually, but many reach the ocean where sea turtles perish, having mistaken them for jelly fish.

"We found reusable shopping bags had a larger capacity, stronger handles, and looked cooler," says Paul. They focused on buying less, recycling more, using alternative modes of transportation, and expanding their vegetable garden.

Surprising their family and friends, they made the decision to use cloth diapers and make baby food and diaper wipes. Baby food jars can be recycled, but a couple jars per day for six months start to add up. With two sets of reusable, freezer safe containers, they puree unseasoned fruits and veggies from the meals they were cooking for themselves. As for the cloth diapers, these were not the flat, square cloth diapers held together with safety pins. Modern cloth diapers have elastic legs and Velcro waists, are as easy to put on as disposables, and can be laundered at home.

"At first, people thought we were crazy", admitted Robin, "but then they saw how easy they were to use." With several styles to choose from, fabrics such as organic cotton, hemp, minkee and fleece, and pastel and brightly colored solids, and patterns with pirates, leopard prints, and geometric swirls, picking out the diapers was half the fun. Depending on the style, 36-100 cloth diapers cost as little as $400 and a complete set of premium diapers run about $1500, but can be resold or used on a second child. At six to twelve diapers per day for two to three years, one baby will generate 4000-10,000 diapers. According to the Real Diaper Association, 92% of disposable diapers end up in landfills and never completely decompose. The extra load of laundry every three days uses as much water as potty trained child flushing the toilet.

Robin became so passionate about the eco-friendly products she discovered during bed rest that she decided to leave her position as an HR Professional and start a web based retail company, www. ModernMommyGear.com.

"Busy modern moms don't have 17 weeks on bed rest to research products the way I did, so I'm bringing these functional and fashionable products together in one place for modern parents to discover how easy eco-friendly parenting can be," explains Robin. Many of these products are mom-invented. Stylish, reusable shopping bags, dishwasher attachments to wash and dry plastic bags, stainless steel sippy cups, pet supplies made from recycled soda bottles, biodegradable laundry soap, and home décor constructed with recycled LP records, Modern Mommy Gear showcases more than just the top rated cloth diapers. With a basement full of inventory, she now works from home, swinging by the post office to mail packages on her way to story hour at the Belmar Library.

"With advancing technology, it is easier than ever to be green." reminds Paul. If you are interested in learning more about cloth diapers or other eco-friendly products, contact Robin via her store email. She's happy to meet you for a cup of coffee to chat. Just be sure to bring your own reusable coffee mug.